EARLY RHODODENDRONS FOR OUT-OF-SEASON EFFECT—

Press, Volume C, Issue 29511, 12 May 1961, Page 8

EARLY RHODODENDRONS FOR OUT-OF-SEASON EFFECT—

To the majority of gardeners the flowering season of rhododendrons is October and November, and-these months only. Certainly this is the height of the blossom period for these plants, but it is not the only season. Rhododendrons may be seen in flower from July right through to the following February or March, if you choose your varieties carefully. With tire early flowering varieties it is as well to get them planted without delay, so that they have a chance to become established before the weather gets too cold. However, many nurseries will not have a full range available yet, and rhododendrons are plants which do transplant very well due to their fibrous root system. The place chosen should not be too exposed, for tender blooms can be damaged by cold winds and frosts coupled with exposure to early morning sun. Some varieties are more sensitive than others, and the variety “Nobleanum” for example, will stand harder conditions than the much tenderer R. mucronulatum. The best soil, like that for all rhododendrons, is one which contains leaf-mould and is not too heavy or clayey. A light to medium soil is quite suitable, although the lightest sandy soils will need much more generous feeding with leaf mould to avoid drying out. Summer drought is one thing which rhododendrons will not tolerate with equanimity. A

■ little overhead shade is not 1 objected to in the slightest—in fact some of the early flowerers are seen at their best under these conditions An acid soil is essential, but this is normal in the majority of Canterbury and the West Coast, except in a few places such as the Waikari district, where rhododendrons will show their resentment by turning yellow in the leaf and refusing to grow. Here are a few early flowering types Which are available from nurserymen who carry a good selection. R. Nobleanum Is a very old variety, raised over 120 years , ago. It is actually named after Mr Noble, of the English nursery firm of Standish , and Noble, which went out of , existence in the 1880’s. It has . scarlet-red flowers, is very , tough in its tolerance of poor weather, and is quite com. pact in growth. The flower- ’ ing season is August. “Cornubia” has one ■ parent the same as the last plant, but it is not so tough, and needs some shelter. The flowers are bright scarletred and larger than those of Nobleanum. The flowering season is August, and continues for two months. “Christmas Cheer” has a misleading name for New Zealand gardeners, for this plant was actually named for the northern hemisphere. It is probably one of the first in flower in the late winter —late July or early August—and has blush pink flowers. It is a very hardy variety.

and only grows to about six feet high.

R. praecox—the plant Illustrated—has a much smaller habij Of growth, an<| rafely grows more than four or five feet tall. The delicate little flowers are a soft purplishrose in colour and just under two inches across. It usually drops some of its leaves in the winter months. The flowering season is August and September.

R. niucronulatum is perhaps the most delicate of all the sorts mentioned here, but is a gorgeous plant for a sheltered place. There is a fine plant above the small pool in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens rock garden, and its rosy-purple flowers are a delight on dull days in late winter. Although it is a rhododendron it drops its leaves in winter, and the flowers on bare branches are all the more readily seen. “Sir Robert Peel” Is well known in many gardens throughout the country. The flowers are cerise-pink, and although the ffower trusses are rather small there are plenty of them. It is equally as hardy as Nobleanum or of the other “tough" types. Sir Robert Peel is a rather large growing plant, however, and I know of one plant In Pukekura Park, New Plymouth—certainly a good area for growth—which is between 40 and 50ft in height at 40 years of age. Reasonably old plants at Lincoln College are only 12 to 15 feet tall. If you want out-of-«eason effects though, plant one of these early rhododendrons.